His Mother's Love
by zenith020388
Summary: A mother's love can make it all better, no matter what it is... But can it really change the world?
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue: Darkness**

The room was tiny, filled with stale air. The stones were cold, and dank. There was no light, save for a tiny sliver at the bottom of the door, which barely illuminated the floor, let alone the rest of the somewhat damp room. There was almost no sound, the room closing in around it's sole occupant, who was huddled in one corner, shivering and sobbing pathetically. She was dressed in the tattered remains of her former uniform, her black coat and skirt ripped to shreds and smothered in dirt. She was young, only about fourteen, but her age wasn't apparent through the malnouirishment that was all too evident in her features.

She didn't know how long she'd been there. She'd fled her former master in tears at midsummer, but time slowed down when she'd been thrown into this hole. The questions came next, and she whimpered every time the sickly black mark on her shoulder was prodded by her 'inquisitors'. Inquisitors who, apparently felt the need for her to be naked during questioning.

Her head snapped up and she tried to scramble further into the corner as voices drifted through the tiny crack under the door, her sobbing growing louder as the memories of her past visitors flooded into her mind. Her tears started up again unvoluntarily when a shadow stopped in front of her door, blocking out the only source of light in her world...

* * *

Morino Ibiki stopped in front of the only room on the level that was lit up as occupied, frowning down at the clipboard he held. There wasn't supposed to be anyone this far down... In fact, the logs he held in front of him stated that nobody had been down here in months... His gaze shifted from the small red light to the paper, and back again. "What the hell...?" He muttered aloud, reaching for the spinbar that locked the room shut. Unlike all the rest of the doors on the floor, this one was extremely well-kept, which bothered him even more. The door swung open, and he was greeted by a loud whimper.

"P-please... I d-didn't know..." The girl cried, hiding her tear-streaked face behind her wild, unkempt violet hair. Hair that he recognised immediately.

"Wha...?" This was not right... This kid was released three months ago! "Why are you in here?" He asked, dumbfounded.

"I swear it... I s-swear it..." She sobbed repeatedly, rocking back and forth in her corner. Ibiki's senses returned to him in an instant, and his training kicked in. The girl let out a strangled scream when he reached for her, but he didn't hesitate. He had to help her _now_ or she would suffer even greater psychological damage as the seconds ticked past...

* * *

She was prepared for the worst. She didn't recognise this man, so he was probably new to her handling crew. And the new ones always felt the need to 'mark' her as theirs. At least, the last few had...

But the man did not grab her. To her astonishment, she felt a heavy coat drape over her dishevelled body, the sudden warmth startling her out of her tears. And when she looked back up at the man, he didn't seem nearly as bad as he had a second ago. There was a genuinely concerned expression on his scarred face that sparked a tiny flare of hope in her tortured body, a hope that she latched onto with a madwoman's deathgrip. "I'm here to help you." He said gently, reaching out a hand. "If you'll let me..."

The offered hand was ignored, in favour of what she _really_ needed. The man made a slight "Oof!" sound as he was knocked clean off his feet, but the tiny girl latched herself around his waist, and let her sorrow pour out into his chest...

* * *

Sarutobi rocked the small blonde baby in his arms, cooing softly as he slowly drifted off to sleep. Scarcely three days had passed since the child's father had orphaned his son, and saved his home in doing it. The demon fox that had attacked them now slumbered within the soul of this poor child, and already the village council was calling for his blood. He laid the sleeping boy back into his small cradle beside the Hokage's desk and sat back into his chair, chewing thoughtfully on the end of his unlit pipe. "What must be done...?" He asked aloud, pondering the solution to the problem the boy posed. "Nobody has seen him... Nobody knows whose child he is... All they see is the Kitsune... What to do, indeed..."

The door to his office opened silently just then, and Ibiki, the new head of ANBU torture and interrogation stepped into the room, a sleeping girl wrapped in his coat held in his arms. "I'm sorry to disturb you, Hokage-sama, but we have a big problem." He laid the sleeping girl on a chair to one side of the room, and relayed what he'd found to his leader. "...And after she'd cried herself to sleep, I inspected the extent of her injuries..." His expression fell. "She's been beaten on a near-constant basis for at least a month, and... Raped, sir... Several times..."

The Professor visibly sagged under his grief. "Go." He commanded simply. "I'll deal with this. You've done the right thing, Ibiki..." The large ANBU captain nodded and left the room, pausing to cast one last glance at the girl before he closed the door behind himself.

The Hokage slumped in his seat, emotionally and physically drained. "I've failed you two... Failed in my duties as Hokage..." He whispered hoarsely, looking over the two children, so similar in their predicaments. "I'm sorry, Naruto-kun... Anko-chan..." His apologies fell on deaf ears, however, and the pair slumbered on, unaware of the life-changing decision the old man was coming to in his mind. "I _will_ make this right... I swear it..."

* * *

**A/N:** Ever get that one idea that will never leave you alone? Yeah. Here's my latest one. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 1: Awareness**

Anko awoke slowly, slipping out of the usual nightmares with more than a little difficulty. _When I need you, you will comply..._ Her sensei's last words rang in her ears as the darkness bled into colour, and she opened her eyes. She was startled for a moment when she didn't recognise the inside of her cell immediately, but the memories of the last night's events flooded into her thoughts, and she burst into happy tears. She had been saved from her nightmare. Saved by a knight dressed all in black, a knight who bore the scars of a thousand battles on his face. Her eyes darted all about the room, drinking in the varied colours and patterns that had been missing from her life for so long. A small crib sat on the opposite side of a heavy wooden desk, and she stood up shakily to investigate. Her muscles cramped from misuse, but she held her footing, and the pain subsided after a moment. As she stepped around the desk, she heard some small, unintelligable noises emanating from the crib, and she peered over the edge curiously.

A pair of tiny eyes looked up at her, cool blue orbs that cut right into her soul, judging her silently. The tiny baby boy looked straight through the disshevelled shell of a body and into her tortured mind, and her heart nearly stopped beating in her chest for that instant that he looked through her. Then he smiled and gurgled a happy laugh, and the world stopped. This child cured Anko's wounded soul with little more than a glance and a laugh. Certainly, the problems weren't gone, and they would return to her later on. But in that moment, the little boy made her forget all the horrible things that had happened to her, and she smiled, probably for the first time in months. She reached down with one hand and tickled the boy's nose, making him giggle even more, until he reached up a tiny hand and grabbed her finger, pulling it sharply into his mouth, where he proceded to suck happily on it while Anko giggled a little to herself.

"Well, I see you've met Naruto."

The quiet voice brought reality crashing back down around Anko as she spun to face the speaker. She cursed inwardly as she stumbled slightly, realizing that she'd awoken in a strange room and had not even checked to see where she was. The sudden movement, coupled with the removal of his new favorite toy made the baby, Naruto, let out a cry of such dispair that Anko faltered in mid turn, her heart crying out to help the poor child, and her brain shouting to face the threat.

"You can pick him up, if you'd like."

She blinked once, blearily recognising the voice that had spoken, and everything was all right again. She turned back to the crib, eager to quell the child's cries. "I'm sorry, little one..." She whispered, lifting him up to cradle in her arms. The boy calmed down immediately, glacing around the room excitedly, causing Anko to smile.

"The world is such a wonder to him." The Hokage said, slowly crossing the room to take a seat in his desk chair. She knew the old man from her time as a gennin of the Hidden Leaf village, the leader and strongest ninja in all of the fire country. She also knew him a little more than most, due to her sensei-

Anko shuddered involuntarily, trying to hold in the emotion that suddenly rushed back into her head. Sarutobi must have sensed it, because he was on his feet instantly, guiding her into one of the chairs across from his desk. Even the baby must have felt something, giving a small, upset whine and reaching a tiny hand up to tickle the bottom of her chin, forcing her to smile again. The Hokage helped her to her seat before returning to his own, a look of thoughtful contemplation splashed across his aged features. He watched the young woman playfully wiggling her fingers at the orphaned baby boy, and was secretly glad that they were able to connect through their darkest hours. But outwardly he showed his dispair at the fate of two of his villagers, of his children.

"Anko-chan..." He said softly, making the young Gennin glance up at him. This did not please Naruto, who squealed in protest, making her turn her gaze back to him. "I want to apologise for this whole mess... What happpened to you... Should never have come to pass..." Anko gave another shiver, which was again cut short by her gurgling little distraction. "I've put my best men to the task of tracking down whoever did this to you, and they will be put to the axe, if need be."

The violet-haired youth said nothing for a time, merely rocking the child back and forth in her arms, slowly lulling him to sleep. Finally, she glanced up and nodded sullenly. "Thank you..."

The Professor breathed out a sigh of relief. Now to seguey into the next phase of the discussion... "I will stay on top of this for as long as it takes, Anko. You have my word as Hokage."

She nodded again, her eyes once again drifting back to Naruto. "W-who's child is this, Hokage-sama?" Her voice was barely a whisper, as if she was afraid to interrupt or ask a question.

Sarutobi smiled sadly. "Naruto is an orphan, Anko-chan." He admitted in a gentle tone, hiding a smaile at Anko's indagnant shock. "His parents were lost in a recent attack on the village by the Nine-tailed Fox Demon..." Again, her eyes widened in shock. _Just how far underground was she to have missed __**that**__ thing's chakra?_ "The demon was defeated by the Yondaime, who sacrificed his life barely a month into his term... And it was sealed into little Naruto here..."

Anko cast one horrified look down at the slumbering baby, and Sarutobi had a flash of doubt regarding her character. It was dispelled, however, when she looked back up at him. "How could someone do that to this poor baby?!" She asked in her horror.

The Sandaime shook his head sadly. "It was the only way, Anko. The Yondaime knew this, and he hated himself for the last hours of his life." He letthe conversation drop off for a while, until he had a few minutes to compose his next few words. "He seems to be quite enthralled by you, however." She looked up at him quizzically, and he explained. "He's never gone to sleep without a fuss before. He's quite the little scrapper." He chuckled. "But he _is_ an orphan, so I'll have to find a home for him soon..."

Anko gave a start, her arms tightening slightly around the blonde baby, but she said nothing. It was too early for her. Sarutobi sighed in defeat. "I've hired a new Gennin team to clean out your old apartment, Anko-chan. You will recieve reparation payments from the state for the pain we have caused you to suffer unjustly..." She nodded sadly again, continuing to rock Naruto in her arms slowly. "Please, come and see me when you get settled back in."

She murmured her confirmation, standing up slowly. The Hokage did likewise, and held out his arms to take the baby from her, which she gave him somewhat begrudgingly. She paused for a time at the door, gathering herself for her first foray into the public eye in several months. She bowed politely to the Sandaime at the door, and left, but only after casting one more longing glance at the dozing child in the old man's arms.

The walk home was uneventful, though Anko could feel the eyes of the villagers on her as she passed. She shuffled weakly down streets she thought she'd never see again for the better part of an hour, hopelessly lost in her surroundings. The worn steps that led to her single room apartment creaked in a vaguely familliar pattern under her feet, and the Gennin that was left to wait for her stayed silent as she passed by him, closing and locking the door behind her.

Anko collapsed onto the mattress that lay in the corner, physically and emotionally fatigued by the change of surroundings. She lay there for a long time, slowly adjusting to the concept of freedom, though not without her fair share of tears. Her thoughts wandered back to the sapphire eyes of the tiny baby she'd awoken to, and she felt a tiny shiver run up her spine. The boy had given her some feeling of normality after so long in the darkness, and the Hokage's words echoed off the insides of her head. _Orphan... Home for him..._

She settled into her bed slowly, curling up under the covers and bolstering herself for the coming dreams. _Tomorrow... I'll worry about it tomorrow..._


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 2: Curiousness**

Anko awoke the next morning, sobbing into her pillow as she clutched at it for dear life. The nightmares faded slowly, as they always had, but she forced herself to get up rather quickly. _It's over. You're safe. It's over. You're safe._ She mentally repeated the mantra in her head ass she showered and dressed for the day, ignoring the musty, wooden smell that accompanied the clothes she pulled from her long-abandoned dresser. There was a large paper bag of groceries on the counter of her small kitchen, a note from the Hokage taped to the side in an envelope. She dug into her first true meal in months with gusto, demolishing everything in the bag without even thinking about it, and she took her time cleaning up. The mundanity of the task made her giggle inanely, and she was happy to be doing such non-tasks. Hell, doing anything made her feel better, after doing nothing for so long. _Well, doing nothing but-_

She shook her head, ruthlessly cutting off that train of thought. It was way too early to be doing that. That would come later, with Sake. Lots and lots of Sake...

A small crate rested just inside her door, and she found all of the equipment they'd confiscated from her inside, and another note, this one from one Morino Ibiki. She didn't open it, either. In fact, she didn't even look through the box. She wanted nothing more than to leave the bad memories of her former sensei behind. In fact, she really just wanted to leave it all behind...

_Maybe... Maybe this can be a fresh start..._

She left the apartment soon after, buttoning up the loose coat that effectively hid her curves from view. She really wasn't in the mood to be ogled, after all. She didn't really escape notice, though, as she slowly made her way down the street towards the Hokage Tower. People noticed her, alright. The whispers followed her the whole way there, but she forced herself to block their words out. _Fresh start. Fresh start. Fresh start..._

If the whispers she heard in the streets bothered her, they were forgotten as the tower came into view. Hundreds of people were gathered around the entrance of the tower, shouting and pushing to get in. Most were carrying knives, or vaarious other sharp tools, but some even had torches. _What is it with mobs and torches?_

"-emon still lives! We must kill it! Destroy the filthy beast that took our Hokage from us!"

Anko's blood froze in her veins as a pair of innocent blue eyes flashed in her mind's mob was pressing against the barricade of only a handful of ANBU, who were desperately trying to hold back the tide without having to hurt anyone. Anko pushed her way through the crowd, anxious to get to the Hokage before anyone else could. One of the ANBU tried to stop her when she got close enough, but she deftly slid under his advance and darted up the stairs, followed by cries of encouragement from the crowd.

"Another ninja has joined our cause! Push forward, and destroy the demon child!"

_Arrogant pricks..._

Anko burst through the door of the Hokage's office only a second later. "Hokage-sama! Where is-"

She dropped off in the middle of her scentence as twin angry glares was thrown her way from Hyuuga Hiashi. the easily irritated head of Konoha's self-proclaimed strongest clan, and Uchiha Fugaku, The patriarch of the village's most millitant clan and, consequently, the head of the millitary police of the Fire Country. Both men wore identical blank expressions behind their glares, and Anko flinched back, reflexively hugging her arms to her chest.

"Anko." The Hokage's voice was strained, but still kind. "Please close and lock the door behind you."

She quickly did so before moving off to one side as the two patriarchs turned back to the Hokage. "As I was saying, Hokage-sama, which child was it that the Fourth used. I know of three children who were born on the day, and I also know that the two who were not chosen died when the shockwave collapsed the hospital." Hiashi intoned blandly.

Fugaku nodded. "Was the child the Uchiha, the Hyuuga, or the other? We must know."

The Hokage sighed. "Anko." He said after a moment of pause. "Would you please get Naruto from his crib?" Anko was slightly confused, but nodded, moving quickly over to said crib and genyly picking up the slumbering child from inside. Both men took an involuntary step forward as she turned around, and both frowned at the small tuft of blonde hair the stuck out of the top of the blanket.

"Hokage-sama, we must see the boy's eyes." Hiashi said, irritated.

"Wake him." Fugaku commanded, his eyes flickering to the red of the Sharingan.

Anko looked to the Hokage, who nodded shortly. "Sorry little one..." She whispered, gently tickling him awake. "You have to wake up..." Naruto gurgled unhappily at being woken up, but he had no time to protest before Hiashi stepped forward and looked straight into his eyes. Naruto made no sound, staring up at the man with a slightly odd expression until Hiashi finally nodded, stepping away.

"The boy's eyes are blue. That alone proves he is not Hyuuga. The Byakugan always breeds true." He said shortly, stepping away. Fugaku moved to replace him, but this time, Naruto didn't remain silent. The sight of the Sharingan sent him into hysterics. He was crying almost before they made eye contact.

Fugaku showed no outward reaction to the boy's displeasure as Anko reflexively pulled him away, rocking him and cooing softly to try and calm him down. "As does the Sharingan. Clearly the Fourth did not wish to risk one of Konoha's strongest bloodlines being corrupted by the fox..." He nodded in satisfaction. "Very well. I must go. I have a riot to deal with..." A slight bow was all the concession he made for formality before turning on his heel and leaving. Hiashi made even less effort, merely nodding shortly and leaving behind his Uchiha counterpart.

The Professor watched them go, shaking his head. _Sadly, one of you is so very wrong..._

Anko locked the door behind them. "Hokage-sama..." She said quietly, still gently trying to get Naruto to calm down. "How did the villagers find out about... about the Demon?"

Sarutobi pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing in defeat. "I had to tell them. They made a fuss about what had happened to it, and I couldn't think of a strong enough lie..."

Anko was caught between disbelief, anger, and worry. "But... You won't let them..."

His gaze flashed up instantly, and Anko caught a fraction of a glimpse of the power the old man held in check as he made eye contact. "Never. Not until my dying day." She couldn't help but smile at the man, her respect for him bolstered ever more by his conviction. "But I must still find somewhere for Naruto to-"

"I'll do it."

Sarutobi had expected it, but he still feigned surprise. "Are you sure, Anko? Sixteen is a little young to become a mother." Anko actually blushed at this. "And even with your back pay, I'm not sure you'll be able to afford taking care of a child..."

"Don't care..." She murmured.

"I don't think that-"

"Don't care..." She repeated.

The Hokage smiled. "I'll get the papers..."

* * *

Hee hee... A Warning to anyone who reads this story: I'm a ninja when it comes to plot twists. You don't see them coming unless I want you to...


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 3: Inactiveness**

Life was vastly different for Anko after that day.With little Naruto around, she didn't have time to worry about herself. Which was as good a distraction as any, admittedly. The baby completely momnopolized her time, and she couldn't be happier to provide it. She took him home that night, and the pair of them fell into an easy routine. Anko was assigned administrative duties after she'd had a month to recover and get settled in, so the young guardian would often be seen milling about the Hokage's tower, the tiny blonde boy giggling every time he earned a gaze from his imprinted mother.

Not that anybody cared. Villagers and shinobi alike displayed complete disdain for the pair, seeing one as a traitor to their village, and the other as a manifestation of the demon that nearly destroyed their home. Words were muttered, and occasionally a stone or a fist was thrown, but each time the perpetrator was stopped in their tracks by an ANBU guard, flickering into view from the shadows somewhere. Anko, her attention otherwise occupied, only noticed fully half of these attempts, the rest having been stopped far before she could have.

There were, however, other problems that assailed the pair. Almost on a weekly basis there would be a petition that would be raised in the village council to "Eradicate the demon child, before it grows strong enough to destroy us all". It seemed almost comical after the first few months of hearing the same arguments over and over. However, these arguments did show Anko a lot about who she could and could not trust. There was a consistant division across the floor where the baby was concerned. The Nara, Yamanaka and Akimichi representatives stood firmly on the boy's side, arguing that he was a hero for containing the beast, and the Aburame representative privately admitted that he agreed with them, though he took a neutral stance in the meetings alongside the Uchiha and (somewhat surprisingly) Hyuuga clans.

"Until the boy proves to be a threat, the Hyuuga are not concerned with this matter."

The two most outspoken members against the blonde were the Inuzuka representative and the member who represented the minor clans of the village, Haruno Midori. Reasons for their ire were an oft-discussed topic in the bars which the jonin of the leaf tended to frequent, the most common being the boy's supposed parents. With the Uchiha and Hyuuga clans both denying responsibillity for the boy, the only other child that he could have been was the result of a marriage between the Inuzuka and Haruno famillies. They took the fourth's decision, it was speculated, as a personal insult to their honor, and resolved to 'finish the job he started' to restore it.

Or so it was speculated.

The heads of the three branches of ANBU were divided, but they always agreed that, though he was a logistical nightmare in training, Naruto was generally harmless, and thus not a threat. The head of Operations was generally neutral, while the head of Intelligence was vehemently opposed to the boy's existance. But Morino Ibiki, the new head of Torture and Interrogation, would always shut him down, the much larger man stonwalling the boy with the full support of his entire division. The man's unshakeable confidence always made Anko blush, and (though she would never admit it) she developed a slight crush on the special jonin.

Anko didn't much care about the council's petty quibbling. That little boy filled the whole in her being, and warded off the memories and thoughts that threatened her sanity every day. And every night, as well, as the boy demonstrated. At three months old, Naruto had already figured out how to open the latch on his crib, and would crawl under the covers of his mother's mattress and curl up against her chest, but only on nights when she had nightmares, as reported by the pair's twenty-four hour ANBU guard.

"Smart kid." The wolf-masked man would often remark at the bottom of his reports. And his partner would usually agree.

Days bled into weeks, and the pair were nigh inseperable. In fact, the Hokage was the only one who she would leave the boy alone with, though never for very long. Her work in the tower was generally light duties, filing and sorting documents, dealing with mission reports and, on rare ocasions, debriefing units after their return to the village. This allowed her a lot of freedom to keep close to her son, and they were happier for it. Though the combination of the two of them did make some aspects of life nigh impossible.

Naruto was not allowed into parks. The first time Anko had taken him to one, she'd nearly been maimed by every parend there. Had her guard not stepped in, she had no doubt that the crowd would have started the chain reaction that would ultimately lead to her son's death. As a result, Anko had to take him out into the forest to play with him, building a makeshift sandbox and the whole deal. She couldn't really take him out shopping either, or even into a resteraunt, so all of her shopping had to be done by a hired gennin team. Consequently, she was constantly lacking in pocket money, but, when Naruto was seven months old, an extra envelope appeared in her paycheck, containing a rather substancial sum of money. Whenever she asked the Hokage about it, he would simply smile and deny any involvement.

When October tenth came around again, someone in town got an idea to have a festival of remembrance, to celebrate the memory of the sacrifice their Hokage had made for them in their hour of need. Anko, dressed in the nicest kimono she owned, gently guided her son, already walking and talking in disjointed sentences, to the cenotaph that had been erected in the Yondaime's memory. The boy, trembling under hundreds of angry glares, stepped forward and placed a single white rose, which he'd been given by his mother, at the base of the monument, before darting back into Anko's waiting embrace. They spent the rest of the day as close to the Sandaime as possible, Naruto giggling whenever he caught the old man's eye and his "Oogeesan" winked at him.

Another year passed, and Naruto progressed at a startling rate. At age two, he had already lost most of his baby fat, and was speaking in full sentences, though his vocabulary was admittedly small. He was a tiny bundle of limitless energy, always running and playing, even though he was all by himself. By age three, he was easily the smartest child the village had ever seen, and by four he was beyond even that. Anko knew that he was going to be a ninja. She had been on the off-duty roster for years, yes, but shinobi was still in her blood. Her instincts were as sharp as ever, and she could see it in her son. He was a quiet boy, the most likely cause being his isolated life, but he would often turn and point in a seemingly random direction and whisper "I see you."

Anko would never find out, but her son was always pointing directly at their ANBU shadow, who was both impressed and slightly disturbed by the act. "It's like he can sense me even before he sees me." He said once in his reports, which was something that usually only a jonin or better could do.

So she trained him. His playtime became training time, though he never made the distinction. He would run and hide, and Anko would find him. Then she would hide, getting increasingly more sophisticated as they progressed, but he would always find her. Even under a henge and in a crowded plaza, he was able to distinguish her, and she would feel a pair of small arms close around her waist. "Got you, Kaasan."

Everyone who was at least half civil towards him could literally feel the potential in him, and this was what led to his early entrance into the Konoha ninja academy.

Which makes what happened all the more tragic.

Anko had gone all out when she had finally decided to let him enter early, and bought him all the best basic equipment she could find. He went off to his first day of school with a bounce in his step, excited that he would finally have people his age to be around and that he was finally going to learn how to do all the cool things that his mother did. His first day passed without incident, much to the relief of his mother, and when he went back the next day, she was almost starting to believe that he might have a chance at a normal childhood.

She was, of course, horribly wrong.

His second day of school was a nightmare gone bad. Classes were fine, of course, but something had changed. Kids who had been curious about the younger boy the day before were now uninterested, or even downright rude. The teacher himself blatantly ignored Naruto, even when he asked to go to the bathroom. And after school let out at noon, as it does for first year students, things got worse.

Anko was nowhere to be seen, but Naruto knew where he was supposed to go if she wasn't there to pick him up. She'd told him beforehand. But as he packed up the last of his things, the door to the now-empty classroom slid open, and another student, easily five years older than the blonde, stepped into the room an angry look in his eyes.

Naruto, as socially inept as he was, caught the anger in the boys gaze and stiffened, ready to bolt. "H'lo?" He said tentatively after a second's silence.

The older boy closed the door behind him. "So you're the kid who got my sister beat up." The boy had at least two feet of height on him, and angry red-brown hair that fell in front of cold black eyes. An instant's glance revealed to Naruto that he also carried two weapon pouched on his belt.

"I... I didn't.." The younger boy stammered, backing away, his bag forgotten.

"Oh, yes you did." The boy growled, balling his hands into fists. "She got whupped when she came home yesterday, and it's _your_ fault." He swung, much faster than he expected his younger target would be able to dodge, straight at the boy's head.

Naruto didn't know wat happened next. All he knew was that he and the other boy hit the ground at the same time, and that he'd been hit in the throat. The pain was excruciating, and tears immediately sprang into his eyes as he tried to breathe through his crushed windpipe.

His opponent hadn't been hurt as much, but he was certainly dazed by whatever the kid had done to him. "Th-that's what you get, punk." He said when he finally regained his footing, before retreating out the door and off the school grounds.

The instant the boy was gone, the wolf-masked ANBU appeared in a small burst of smoke. He swore bitterly, quickly scooping up the wheezing boy and rushing out of the room. "I'm sorry, kid." He said quietly as they soared up to the roof. "I look away for a minute, and something like this happens..." Naruto coughed weakly, shivering as he went into shock. "Hold on, kid. Just hold on..."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 4: Carelessness**

Pacing didn't help, but pacing was all the man could do. It had taken an extra five minutes upon arrival at the hospital to find someone who wasn't blinded by fear or anger, and would take the boy from him. (A fact that would be immediately going into his report.) Naruto had been in the emergency ICU for almost a half hour, and the ANBU was starting to get worried, especially when his mother didn't show up. It was certainly a diversion from the norm, to say the least.

The door ahead of him finally opened after another fifteen minutes, and the older gentleman stepped out, wiping sweat from his brow. "Right. The child will live, sir. The damage to his windpipe was mercifully just shy of being fatal." His eyes betrayed a sadness that his face hid as he spoke. "His voicebox was damaged beyond repair. We did everything we could, but it just... We couldn't repair what was done." His shoulders slumped in defeat. "He'll never speak again."

The wolf-masked ANBU nodded sadly. "You did all you could, doctor. Thank you." He glanced out the wall-to-wall windows that lined the front entrance to the ward, frowning beneath his mask at the absence of the boy's mother. "Is it safe to take him home?"

The doctor nodded. "Yes, though I fear what such an experience may have done to his psyche..."

Wolf-mask flinched imperceptibly and nodded. "Is he awake?" Another nod, which made the ninja pause. _He shook off the surgery sedatives that fast?_ "Then I'll take him to his mother. Thank you again." He gave the man a small nod before pushing through the door and into the ICU. Naruto was sitting on the edge of his bed, staring at the floor, a haunted look on his face. "Naruto?"

Even the gentlist, calmest tone the man could muster was too much for the five-year old, who jerked violently and burst into tears at the sound. The man stopped in mid-step, his training failing him at such a pitiful sight. "I... I'm sorry..." He managed, taking another step forward. "I shouldn't have-"

The boy flung himself at him, and he made no move to stop him. A small pair of arms wrapped around him as the blonde buried his face in the man's vest. Empty, silent sobs made him twitch every few seconds, and Wolf-mask gently picked him up, allowing him to do so. "Let's go find your mother..." And he was gone from the ward less than half aminute later.

* * *

Anko sighed in frustration. The team she'd been debriefing had taken almost two hours to finish their report. A rookie team, at that, back from their first C-rank mission. She'd missed her son after school, and was on her way to the spot where she'd told him to wait for her, a small ramen shack run by an old friend, and about the only person in the village who treated their little family with any sort of respect. It had been decided on for it's owner as much as for it's ease of location, being not very far from both the tower and the academy.

Teuchi Ichiraku smiled at her as she stepped under the dividing curtain. "Ah, Anko-chan!" He said, smiling widely. "Here for a late lunch?"

Naruto wasn't around.

"Actually, Naruto was supposed to come straight here after school let out..." She replied in confusion. "Did he just step out, or-?"

His answering frown made her worry-meter jump. "Naruto-chan hasn't been here at all today..."

"Are you-"

"Mitarishi-san?" A voice from behind her made Anko turn, and herheart stopped when she recognised one of her ANBU shadows, a woman with a cat mask. "There's been an incident. I need you to come with me."

Anko followed wordlessly, her heart pounding in her throat as they quickly leapt to rooftop level and sped back towards the tower. Moments later they skidded to a halt on the balcony of Anko's apartment, and she wasted no time in opening the door and rushing inside. Naruto was asleep on the couch, the other of the ANBU standing over him with a small scroll in his hand. Anko rushed to her son, fighting tears at the sight of an angry red scar on his throat. Other than that, he was unharmed. She looked up at Wolf-mask, her gaze angry and questioning, and he wordlessly handed her the scroll, upon which his report was written. Anko read through the report, the blood draining from her face as she read through how he'd been attacked.

Written at the end of the scroll was a short statement in very sloppy handwriting that said something about a beaten girl, but it was almost unreadable. Anko let her tears fall as she threw the report away in disgust, gently picking up her sleeping son and moving him into his room, where she tucked him into his bed and left him be. The ANBU was still standing there when she came out, but she had nothing to say to him.

"Mitarishi-san, I-" She glared straight into the eyeholes in his mask, and he flinched at the look. "I'm sorry... I never-"

"Go." The word was strangled with emotion, and Anko looked away. "Just get out."

A smll puff of smoke, and Anko was left alone with her tears.

* * *

Sarutobi was mildly surprised when a scroll and a mask clattered onto his desk while he was in the middle of reviewing an important mission report. "I quit." He looked up into a single dark eye and frowned.

"Quit?"

The man shook his head. "I screwed up, and now that kid's never going to be a ninja."

"What?"

He shook his head again. "It's all in there, Hokage-sama." He said bitterly, gesturing at the scroll. "I'm sorry, but I'm removing myself from the case."

And with that, he vanished. The Sandaime was slightly thunderstruck at the man's actions, but her read through the report he'd left quickly, and sighed when he reached the end. "What did you do, Kakashi...?"

* * *

Naruto awoke in his bed some time later, as the sun started to dip below the horizon. He sat up slowly, still feeling a little stiff from whatever drugs the doctor had given him earlier, but much less tired than he had been. He absently reached up to feel the scar on his neck, and he almost cried again as he recalled what the doctor had told him earlier.

_"I'm sorry, son, but... We couldn't fix all of the damage. You... You won't be able to speak any more..."_

He bit down on his lip to keep the tears in and stood up slowly, stretching out as he moved to his door. A quick trip to the bathroom later, and hie stomach let out a hungry growl, which made him frown. He couldn't smell dinner cooking, and it was a little late... But when he investigated the living room and kitchen, his mother was nowhere around. Only when he approached her bedroom door did he hear her.

She was crying.

All other thoughts left him in an instant. His mother was the most important person in his life, and it hurt him to see her in pain, or sad. Even as a baby, he'd known her pain, and he did the only thing he could think of to try and stop it. Which is what he did now. The door slid open silently, and he stepped in, avoiding the floor tile that he'd long since figured out was rigged to squeak, and approaching the bed. She was facing away, but Naruto knew she wouldn't have missed his presence in the room unless there was something seriously wrong. Only when he crawled up into the bed next to her did she turn over, surprise evident on her face. "N-Naruto?"

He opened his mouth to answer, but stopped short, remembering his injury. Rather than lead with his words, he simply crawled under the covers and snuggled up to her, smiling as she closed her arms around him. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to get you..." He heard her whisper in a wavering voice. "If I had been on time, then none of this-"

Naruto put one hand over her mouth, shaking his head slowly before cuddling back into her arms, and again, just like the first day they met, Naruto forgave her for everything with nothing more than a glance and a simple gesture of love. They laid there in silence untill well after the sun had gone down, and Anko looked down into the tangled mop of his hair. "I _will_ find a way to make this right." She whispered, letting silent tears fall. "I will hear your voice again. My dear boy..."

* * *

A/N: Okay, y'all. That's the end of the intro chapters, and next chapter starts the first of seven titled arcs, which begin... Well, you'll just have to wait and see... Stay Frosty. -E. Red 


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 5: Ruthlessness**

Naruto snuggled deeper into his mother's arms, not wanting to open his eyes to the morning light that streamed in through the window. He didn't want to face the world again. Not yet, anyway.

Unfortunately, that small motion made his mother stir in her sleep, and he looked up into her grey-blue eyes as they opened slowly. She smiled a little sleepily down at him. "Morning, sweetheart." She whispered, kissing his cheek. "Did you sleep well?" He nodded, still clinging to her in the hopes that she would stay there with him.

It was not to be, though. She sat up after another moment, and giggled slightly as he was pulled up with her. "I'm sorry, sweetie, but I have to get up. The Hokage needs me at work..."

She saw the tears in his eyes and visibly slumped, sadness threatening to crawl onto her face. "You don't have to go back to school if you don't want to." She said quietly, brushing a stray lock of hair out of his face. He looked up at her questioningly, and she sighed. "I know you are scared, but if you really want to, then you can go back-"

He was shaking his head even before she finished the statement, hugging her tighter to make it clear who he wanted to go with. "Alright... But you'll have to let me go." She said with a smile as he did just that. "Now go get changed, and we'll get some breakfast on the way, okay?"

-----

Anko was glad that the Hokage had let her withdraw Naruto from classes so discreetly. A public withdrawal would definitely not be good for the boy. Now that he had tasted school, however, he wanted to learn as much as he could, and he sat curled up in a chair next to her desk in the tower's foyer, trying to read through the textbook he'd been given the day before.

It was a day like any other had been. Teams wandered in and out of the tower, most ignoring her and her son, a few sparing a smile or a wave at the pair who had become a familiar sight over the years.

Watching her son struggle with the textbook brought a feeling of regret to her heart. He was so sheltered from the outside world, despite his upbringing in one of the most public places in the village. Two days in the Academy was the extent of his interaction with children his own age.

She paused in her filing for a moment as her most common concern wove it's way back into her thoughts. Was he happy? Was she doing the right thing?

He glanced up from the textbook, as if in answer to her concerns, and broke into a huge smile that dashed the thought away.

"YOU!" The angry shout shattered the calm of the morning like a hammer on glass. "YOU DID THIS!" The man stormed across the foyer, making a beeline for Naruto, his face contorted with rage.

Anko wasn't sure how she expected to stop the man with a letter opener, but that was what she had in her hand when she stepped between her horrified son and the man. "What can I help you with, sir?" She asked in an icy tone, her empty hand flicking instructions to the concealed ANBU guards in the room.

"YOU ARE NO BETTER FOR SHIELDING THE DE-"

The slim blade was at his throat before he could finish the word. "If you break the Hokage's law, so help me, I will execute you myself. Fair trial be damned."

"Leave him be, Anko." A low, quiet voice spoke from behind her, and an involuntary blush crept into her cheeks. A huge hand closed around hers, lowering the improvised weapon gently, but the man remained stock still, staring over her shoulder with a shocked expression. "Is there something you need from the office of the Hokage, friend?" Morino Ibiki spoke calmly, but there was an unmistakable edge to his words.

"Yes. Is there something I need to know about?" The sound of the Sandaime's voice made the man's pale face go even paler. The old man stepped next to the pair of Jonin, chewing thoughtfully on the end of his pipe.

"H-Hokage-sama..." The man stammered nervously. "I... There is no need..."

"Sh. Then why is it you've brought your whole family to my office?"

Anko glanced past the man, surprised to see a young boy with a dark scowl on his face, and a younger girl who looked like she was about to cry. She also had a number of poorly hidden bruises on her face and neck, which only made Anko madder as she guessed what this 'outrage' was.

"Why has my son been removed from his classes?" The irate man finally asked, after taking a moment to compose himself.

"I should think that answer would be readily evident." Anko spat scathingly, and she watched the man tense in anger.

"Your son deliberately attacked a younger student with a technique that could have killed the boy." Ibiki stated. "You're lucky he was only suspended. In fact, there is still a chance that he may be expelled."

"EXPELLED?!" The man's voice raised again. "YOU WOULD EXPEL MY SON IN FAVOUR OF THAT... THING?!"

"Perhaps you should have taught your son the proper time to use a chakra punch when you taught him the technique." The Hokage's voice was calm, but it cut the emotion in the room instantly.

The man visibly slumped. "Perhaps indeed..."

A very slight tensing of the muscles in his legs was the only warning that he gave before he jumped forwards, twisting around Anko and Ibiki, a kunai flickering out of his sleeve.

"Father, no!" The girl screamed, her tears finally spilling through her control.

The blade came within an inch of Naruto's neck before the man's arm was brutally snapped by a quick knee from Ibiki, and he was knocked back by both the tall man and Anko's swift push. He let out a bellow of pain and fell backwards into the waiting arms of a pair of ANBU.

"THIS IS NOT OVER!" The man yelled as they dragged him off. "ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, SOMEONE WILL FINISH THE FOURTH'S WORK!"

"Father, stop!" The girl cried, running to the man's side.

Only to be met by a savage kick from him. "Be silent! I am not your father! No daughter of mine would consort with de-"

That was when they gagged him.

The man's son followed his father out, casting one last hateful glance at his sister and the gathered onlookers before they left the tower. For a moment, the only sound in the building were the poor girl's pained sobs. Anko felt the hand leave her shoulder and watched Ibiki cross the room to kneel down beside the upset girl.

She was just turning to her son when she heard it. The unmistakable sound of steel cutting through the air. She moved without thinking, wrapping her arms protectively around a startled Naruto. Hot pain flashed through her shoulder, and she gritted her teeth.

Naruto's fear-stricken eyes stared up at her, and she forced a smile. "Are you okay sweetie?" She asked, cursing inwardly as he voice wavered. He was halfway through a nod when a drop of blood dripped onto his cheek. He froze for an instant, then burst into fresh tears hugging her tight. Anko could see his lips moving, soundlessly repeating the same words over and over.

_I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry._

"Shhh..." She said softly. "It's not your fault, Naruto-chan... I'm gonna be just fine... Don't you worry one little bit..."

-----

She was finally asleep. _Good..._

Naruto untangled himself from under his mother's arms carefully, not wanting to jostle her freshly bandaged shoulder. He was slightly surprised that he managed to do so without waking her. She must have been dead tired, as she usually woke at the first hint of movement within the small apartment. But not that night.

Naruto slipped quietly into the hallway, carefully stepping over the rigged floorboard in front of the door to his room. In under a minute, he had collected his backpack and a spare set of clothes before stepping out into the family room.

His mother's old crate sat in the corner where it had all his life, dusty and mostly undisturbed, but he opened it carefully and reached inside, slowly searching for the pouch. He was nervous about being in the crate again. His mother had been so upset when she'd caught him the first time...

_Just one more thing that happened because of me..._

His small hands closed around the metal-filled pouch and he hefted the kunai holster out of the box. It was a little too heavy, but he really only needed one or two, in case of an emergency. He also found a small spool of metal wire tucked into the lip of the pouch, which he took as well after a seconds consideration.

He was almost ready to go. There was only one thing left to do. The little pad of paper on the fridge door was just low enough for him to reach. It took him a full five minutes to scrawl out the small note. He wasn't very good at writing yet, and not much better at reading, but he folded up the note and tucked it into the door frame as he closed it, where it would fall as soon as the door was opened.

The stairs seemed extra long as he stepped down them silently, and his chest hurt as he paused at the end of the street to look up at his home one last time.

It was the only way. It was so obvious to him. After all this time, he only just figured it out. All those angry looks... The hateful eyes of the villagers that watched as he walked down the street with his mother. The sadness and hurt that she felt when she thought he couldn't see it... All those nights he'd tried to comfort her as she lay in bed crying... That poor girl who got hurt because she had been close to him... Even the knife wound his mother had suffered was his fault...

It was because of _him_.

He hadn't pondered out the why, yet. But it wasn't important. He had to leave. To keep his mother safe. To stop the people from getting hurt because of him.

To make things better.

It wasn't hard to get out the huge gates without being noticed. Playing hide and seek with his mother had taught him to be patient, and careful before he acted. The sun was just barely peeking over the trees as the gates finally disappeared into the morning mists behind him, and he turned off the path, heading into the forest with the intention of never being seen again...

-----

Anko woke slowly, the warmth of the sun's early rays on her back making the distinct lack of warmth in her arms all the more evident. She sat up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes with a small yawn. "Naruto-chan?" She called softly, thinking that he may have awoken early for some reason.

The floorboards of the apartment were cold under her bare feet as she padded from one room to another, quickly searching the small domicile. "Naruto...?" She froze as she entered the family room, seeing the old crate that held all of her ninja equipment in it cracked open, and her kunai pouch laying on the floor beside it. There were two missing, along with her steel wire, and for an instant, she felt a flash of anger at the thought that he may have gone off to seek revenge. This was replaced with a feeling of panic at the thought that he may have felt the need to be armed in order to leave the house at all. She slipped her feet into her sandals as she pulled on her robe, shuffling to the door. She would have to find him before he hurt himself...

_Or anyone else..._ A particularly nasty part of her mind intoned, and she suppressed a shiver.

The piece of paper that hit the ground as the door slid open made her stop in confusion. "A note...? Who would leave a note?" But when she unfolded it, her blood froze in her veins.

_Mother sorry didn't want hurt any person going away makes it better love you Naruto._

Her scream must have woken half the village.

-----

The village of Konoha ground to a screeching halt that September morning. Classes at the academy were cancelled as teachers were pulled out of them to assist in a detailed search of the entire village and surrounding forest. ANBU teams scheduled to rotate out into the border patrols were delayed for a special meeting to receive instructions on a potential search and rescue operation. One ramen shop owner locked down his resterant and took his young daughter to console with the mother of the missing boy. The entire military police force was put on high alert by someone within the village council, fearing a possible attack from any number of sources. And, for the first time in years, the Sandaime Hokage stood in full battle gear at the gates of the village, intent on leaving to join the search himself just a few hours after the initial report of the boy's disappearance.

"Sarutobi, be reasonable." Mitokado Homura, his old teammate and one of his closest advisers, said quietly. "We've already poured more resources into the search for the boy than is necessary. The Hokage must remain within the village!"

"Hokage-Sama!" A white blur fell out of the sky and landed in front of him. He instantly recognised the woman as Naruto's second, and at the time only, ANBU shadow. He forced himself to remain emotionless externally, containing the rage that he felt towards the failure in front of him. The cat-masked kunoichi kept her eyes downcast. It was her fault, after all, that the boy had escaped undetected in the first place. Had she been watching the house instead of trying to finish her report early...

"Report." There was nothing behind the words, and the woman flinched involuntarily.

"The boy has been found!" She said between hard breaths. "A returning jonin team ran across him in the woods, several miles out. They left one of their members with him when it became apparent that he had no desire to return with them."

Sarutobi felt his muscles relax in relief. "Call off the search." He commanded, and one of his personal guards vanished in a burst of smoke. "Who found him?" He asked the distraught ANBU, managing to convey a small apology within the words.

-----

Naruto looked over his shoulder at the mammoth man that was following him. The blond boy shivered again as he felt the weight of the man's gaze, and turned away quickly. He had no idea why they had left him there. Sure, he had cut the other man, but why hadn't he just killed the boy then? Why leave this behemoth in red armour to kill him in his sleep?

The sun was almost directly above him when his tired legs gave out on him, and he collapsed under a particularly tall tree. The man stopped as well, and Naruto weakly forced himself to crawl closer to the tree and prop himself up against it.

"Tired yourself out?" The man's low rumbling voice made him flinch. He didn't answer, watching carefully as the man sank to the leaf ridden floor of the forest. "Are you hungry? I've got some extra food..."

Naruto shook his head, even as his stomach let out a small growl that said otherwise. The man chuckled. "I thought so." He said, fishing in a pocket and pulling out a bag with some type of jerky in it. "Would you like some?" He asked, holding the bag out.

But the sight of that massive hand coming towards him was not comforting at all to the youngster. It turned into a fist in the boy''s mind, a fist aimed straight at his throat...

-----

Akimichi Chouza frowned as the boy in front of him started to tremble uncontrollably, fear bleeding into his crystal clear blue eyes. Not the normal suspicious type of fear that most children get from meeting strange new adults, but pure, unbridled terror.

"Hey, now... I'm not gonna hurt you..." He said as calmly as he could manage, moving a little closer in an attempt to console the boy.

The movement had the exact opposite effect. The poor child's trembling nearly doubled, and horrified tears welled up in his eyes. The jonin backed up immediately, completely perplexed.

_He's afraid... To be touched?_ The man thought to himself.

He wasn't ignorant of who the boy was. Hardly any adult in Konoha couldn't recognise the distinct whisker marks on his cheeks. Chouza was among the few in the village who maintained that the boy was a hero for the beast he contained, but the misguided majority hated him for it.

_Could someone have done something to him to cause such a reaction?_ His eyes were drawn to the scar on the boy's throat. Maybe that was the source...

"Alright..." He said with a sigh, settling against another tree across from the demon container. "If you don't want to go, I won't force you..." He smiled warmly, digging out a pair of blankets from his pack. He wrapped one around himself and left the other in between them, next to the package of rations. "I think I'll take a little nap, then." He said, laying down and wrapping the worn travel blanket around himself with a fake yawn.

Even with his eyes closed, it was clear as day when the child moved. Chouza waited almost a half hour to hear the faint rustle of leaves as the boy snatched the blanket and food and crawled back over to his tree. It took less than five more minutes for him to fall soundly asleep.

Chouza shifted his considerable bulk into a sitting position, unsure of how to proceed. He reached for the boy again, but even in his sleep, the tiny frame started to shake uncontrollably when his hand came within a foot of the child's body. _Hoo, boy... This is not going anywhere fast..._

He settled into a more comfortable position with a small sigh. "Rest well, little one." He whispered. "You're safe here with me..."

-----

Anko had more or less contained herself to small sobs and slight whimpers by the time the ANBU arrived at her door. Ichiraku Teuchi, the man from the ramen bar had come over and spent the whole mornning with her, along with his daughter Ayame, just so she wouldn't have to be alone. The pair had been good friends to Anko and her son for the past few years. The young girl had invited them in on a particularly bad day during their walk home, and little two-year-old Naruto had been so excited to have a new friend that Anko just couldn't say no. Her father had smiled his little smile, and they had become good friends, Naruto even earning the title of their favorite customer.

The knock on the apartment door startled the three of them, but Teuchi stood and opened the door in silence. The cat-masked woman stepped into the home and knelt down in front of Anko. "We've found him, Mitarashi-san." She said quietly.

"Where is he?" Anko fought to keep herself calm, but she didn't miss the flinch in the ANBU's shoulders. "What happened?!"

"He... He refuses to return to the village. He attacked one of the jonin that found him with a kunai."

"He... What?"

"According to their report, he became extremely violent as soon as one of the team tried to pick him up. I... I can take you to them."

Anko stood up and left the room, but returned fully dressed in under a minute. "Take me there."

-----

A/N: Yes, fair readers, I am still alive. Having a tough year still, but it's so close to the new one... I've gained a little optimism. Let's leave it at that. Events in this story are coming together in my head clearer now that I've finished this chapter, so I don't expect much more waffling. I won't promise, but my goal is to do a new chapter for one of my stories each week. So you can... Well, not expect... But rather look forward to a new chapter each month. Until next time, R&R as usual, Stay Frosty, and have a happy new year. -E. Red


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 6: Forgiveness**

Naruto trudged on through the forest, frowning as he heard the behemoth of a man walking along just behind him. He knew that the man had probably sent back to the village for help, and that whoever they sent was far less likely to be... Well, he wasn't confident that they would leave him alone, to say the least.

He'd barely gotten an hour's sleep, feeling the man's eyes watching him, and had finally given up hope that he'd go away. Now, they'd been walking through the forest for hours, the silent giant easily keeping pace with the rapidly tiring young boy, but staying a few yards back, something Naruto was quietly glad for.

Even in the state of agitation he was in, the boy couldn't help but take in the beauty of the forest around him. Some of his earliest memories were of playing in the forests around the village with his mother...

He couldn't hold in the flinch, nor the tear that escaped him at the thought. Scarcely a day gone and he already missed her, so very much... He missed the feeling of her arms, holding him tight, and never letting go. He missed the sound of her voice, always calm, and so full of love...

"Naruto!?"

He froze. It was the tiniest sound, almost a whisper on the wind, but the voice was unmistakable. A glance over his shoulder verified that the large man had heard it too.

_I can't let her find me_! Panic gripped his young heart as he darted into a nearby bush, searching desperately for a hiding place. He knew that if she found him, she would take him back, and she'd never be safe from the villagers.

-----

Anko landed hard in the clearing, hissing as her still-wrapped shoulder shifted under it's dressings. She'd left the ANBU behind almost a mile back, her panic-fueled mind driving her faster as the trail became fresher. She looked up into the tiny eyes of Akimichi Chouza, the massive redheaded man offering a small, sad smile and pointing off towards a large bramble thicket, one that grew just barely high enough to allow a small child to crawl safely beneath it.

"Naruto?" She called, and the bush gave a tiny shake. "Sweetie, are you in there?" Another tiny shake. "I found your note... Could you come out please, so we can talk about it?"

It took all the strength of will she had to sit there and wait for him to come out on his own. She so desperately wanted to dig her own way under the bush, but she knew that wouldn't help he situation at all. But after a minute of silence, the bush gave another shake, and a tangled mess of blond hair appeared.

Naruto didn't look up at her as he pulled himself clear of the thorny bush. His eyes stayed firmly rooted to the ground. "Are you hurt?" She asked, fighting with every fibre of her being to stop from leaping at him, from grabbing hold of him and never letting go. He shook his head. "Then... Will you come home with me so we can talk about this?"

The silence was deafening. Anko felt her heart breaking as she watched him sit there, just out of reach, unmoving. Her tears found their way out of her eyes once again as she watched.

"Why?"

Naruto gave a little start at the pain that had suddenly appeared in her voice, and blue eyes looked up at her for the first time. She could feel her body shaking, but it didn't matter. "Why did you leave me...?"

Naruto's own eyes welled up as he tried to respond, not really knowing how to tell her. After a long, flustered moment, he raised his arm and pointed.

Straight at her.

"M-Me? B-But..." Panic flashed in his eyes as he shook his head frantically. He pointed again, and her eeyes followed the line to... "My shoulder?" He nodded sadly, looking back at the ground. "But... I don't understand..."

He pointed again, this time at himself, "You..." Anko's confusion only added to her pain. _What does my shoulder have to do_...? Her eyes widened as she realised what he was saying. "You think... It's your fault that I got hurt?"

He nodded, and she immediately felt both a small sense of relief, and a profound rush of sorrow. "Oh, sweetie... It's not your fault... That man was trying to hurt you, and-"

She was cut off by a sudden pointing of another finger and a fierce nod. Naruto's expression said what his voice could not_. Yes. Exactly. He was trying to hurt ME, but he hurt YOU instead_!

Her tears redoubled, and she clenched her fists against her knees. "Please... Please come back to me..." She whispered. "I can't imagine living without you... And... And I promise I'll never get hurt again! I'll train and train, and nobody will ever touch me again! And you can train with me, and then you'll be safe, too! And then we won't ever have to worry-"

Tiny hands closed on top of hers, silencing her anguished babbling, and she looked up into a small, sad smile_. Please don't cry, kaasan_... Tiny lips mouthed, and she gave a startled hiccup as he settled into her arms. _I'm sorry..._

"Shhh... Don't be..." She sniffed, wiping her eyes. "Just don't ever leave me again... Promise?" He looked up into her eyes and nodded. "Good boy... My beautiful baby boy..."

They sat for a long time, just taking pleasure in each other's embrace. There would be more to deal with soon enough. But for now, they would simply stay together.

-----

"I've found the last one." Ibiki's voice was cold as he stood before the Hokage. "I suppose we should be thanking our young friend. In a cruel way, we may never have found the last two operatives if he hadn't been attacked by that man. The entire organization has been tracked and logged. We are finally ready to move on with the purge."

The Sandaime frowned at the files in front of him. "This all seems... Too convenient. Like we're missing a piece... A cornerstone, even..."

"If there is a missing link, it's hidden so deep that five years of covert ops hasn't dredged it up." The larger man frowned. "But if can yank the power base out from under this... Missing link... Then whoever it is will have to rebuild completely from the ground up."

Sarutobi sighed. "Very well. Proceed with the purge. Dismissed." Ibiki bowed slightly before turning on his heel and exiting the office. The elderly shinobi stood slowly, feeling every one of his sixty-odd years in his bones as he turned to the window with his pipe. "At least now my promise to you can be fulfilled, Anko..."

-----

Naruto felt the glares twice as hard as he usually did as he walked through the village, hiding under the scant protection of his mother's arm. They'd already been to see the Hokage, and were on their way home, but he kept his eyes on the ground in front of him, not daring to return their hateful gazes.

He didn't know why they hated him. Maybe he never would. But now he knew what they could do about it. That man had tried to hurt him, but had hurt his mother instead. And the blade in her shoulder hurt him far more than any wound he could ever imagine.

And now they all knew it.

And he hated them for it.

But beyond his anger, he understood what that meant. He was the only one who could stop them. He was the one who would have to be strong enough to keep her safe.

No. Strong _enough_ wouldn't cut it. He had to be the strongest. The best ninja ever.

He felt a little squeeze on his shoulder as they suddenly stopped. His mother had gone stark white, and her whole body started to tremble violently, her eyes widening in fear. He followed the line of her gaze to a nearby building, where several ANBU were leading a trio of men in shackles into the back of a sealed wagon.

He felt her knees go weak and held her tightly as she collapsed almost on top of him. Panic gripped his little heart as she burst into tears, shaking and sobbing. He had no idea how to react to this situation, and was a little surprised when a massive hand appeared in front of his face. He flinched away from it reflexively, and looked up into the huge man's small, kind eyes. He'd almost forgotten that the man was there, which was saying something.

"Come on." He said quietly, helping Anko to her feet. "Let's get you two home..."

-----

Another long day in his career had passed. Sarutobi sighed, slouching back into his chair for a moment's rest. It wouldn't do to fall asleep at his desk again, though. The last time he had, his daughter had some harsh words for him the next day, for missing family dinner time.

His eyes were drawn up by a knock on his door. _Hmm... Who could be calling so late?_"Enter." The door opened wide to admit the hulking form of Akimichi Chouza, a small frown on his face. "Ah, Chouza-san. Back so soon? You've already given your report..."

"Hokage-sama." The man gave a slight bow. "There is something I need to speak with you about."

The Sandaime frowned. "Does this have anything to do with those men that you passed this afternoon?"

Chouza frowned a little deeper. "Only partly... I've been speaking with my wife for the past hour, and she quite agrees with me on this matter, Hokage-sama."

"Oh? And what matter is that?"

"Something must be done about that boy and his mother."

-----

A/N: Yes, it's true. I'm going to leave you all hanging, once again. Another short chapter, I know, but I can't force myself to continue writing, lest I write something that I'm less than satisfied with. I hope you all understand. R&R, like always, and Stay Frosty. -E. Red


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 7: Protectiveness**

Naruto padded silently out of his mother's room, sliding the door shut with the barest of whispers as she lay exhausted in her bed, even the early morning light failing ot wake her. He strode determinedly into the kitchen, but the breakfast he was imagining in his mind quickly evaporated when he pulled open the first drawer. Confused by the huge number of utensils inside he stepped back, and tried to remember what his mother would usually do in the mornings, but his thoughts were interrupted by a small knock at the door.

Panic gripped his heart for an instant, and without thinking, he grabbed a large knife from inside the drawer and held it in front of him like a sword. The lock started to turn, and his little legs carried him straight into the hallway, where he planted his feet solidly, holding the improvised weapon in front of him.

The door opened, and the tenseness fell away as he recognised the man. He was the big one who helped stop the man at the Hokage's office, the one who he'd seen his mother looking at for a long time...The man blinked at him, smirking a little. "Aren't you a little small to be a samurai?" He asked, and chuckled as the boy pouted at him. "Is your mother around?"

The boy nodded, putting a finger to his lips and then pointing down the hall. "Still in bed, huh?" He smiled. "She didn't even get up for breakfast, did she?" Naruto retreated into the kitchen to hide his blushing face.

He stared up at the cupboards, wondering how he was going to get all the stuff he needed out of the overhead ones. Another quiet chuckle made him flush even redder. "Don't worry about it, kid. Once we get your mom up, we'll all go get something to eat. Okay?"

Naruto nodded, putting the knife back into the drawer before gesturing for the man to wait in the living room before padding silently down the hall and back into his mother's bedroom. She moaned slightly at his first prod before jerking awake violently with a desperate, terrified gasp, "Stay away! Leave me-"

She blinked at the small blond blob that calmly attached himself to her middle, and gave a shuddering sigh as the nightmare slipped away. "I'm sorry, sweetie..." She whispered, returning his hug. "Just a bad dream... Why are you up so early?"

Right on cue, his belly let out a huge growl, and she laughed at the blush that appeared on his cheeks. "I guess that would answer that. Let's get you some breakfast, then..." She frowned a bit as her boy shook his head, gesturing towards the opposite side of the small apartment. "What? What is it?" He rolled his eyes, tugging on her arm and helping her to her feet before pulling her housecoat out of the closet.

"Ibiki?" The named man turned away from the window with a small, mysterious smile. Anko's face took on a pinkish tinge as she unconsciously tightened the belt on her robe. "What are you here for?"

"Several reasons, actually. But mainly to tell you that the Hokage wishes to speak with you at noon today." The man said pleasantly. Naruto's belly complained, and he chuckled. "I also promised the boy we'd go get something to eat, so go get dressed, Anko. We have a lot to do today..."

Naruto frowned and pouted at being called 'the boy', but the all-too familliar dazzled look in his mother's eyes brought a small sigh out of him. He knew that look. He'd seen it many times, though to see her give it to someone other than _him_ was a bit of a shock.

He'd always known how lonely she was, though. With only one little boy to keep her company, how could she not be? But she had chosen this... Man. And that made him both jealous and cautious. He wondered what it would be like to have a dad, but also promised to make sure he would never do anything bad to his mother. She was all he had, after all. Not an unreasonable thought...

He did, however, place himself between them when they left the apartment. No sense taking any chances...

* * *

"W-what...?" Anko stammered, staring at the huge man that stood across from her. The Hokage hadn't been alone when they'd gotten to the office. Akimichi Chouza stood next to the village leader's desk, a small smile on his very large face.

"I want you to move out of your apartment." The wizened old man said calmly, seemingly oblivious of her distress. "It has come to my attention that you're far too isolated from the rest of the village. And, as such, I feel that you need to move to a more... Active, area of town."

She stared at him, her eyes narrowing dangerously. She hadn't worn such a murderous expression since her genin days, under her jonin mentor... "What are you playing at, old man?" She asked slowly.

He cocked his head to one side slightly and smiled his grandpa smile. "Actually, I'm trying to help you give Naruto a chance at a normal life." She blinked, and the anger left her face immediately. "Chouza here has come to me with a rather generous proposal, which I'd like you to hear."

"Well, I talked it over with the missus... And we'd like to offer you the use of one of the vacant houses in our clan complex." The large man rumbled, blushing just a little. "See, we think you both would benefit from a more... Communal living style."

She sat silently, staring at the huge ninja in shock. "Why?"

He sighed. "Your son is a village hero." She knew it already, but to hear it spoken out loud was something of a shock. "And I think it's a shame that the two of you are forced to live alone among the village by virtue of... Unfortunate circumstances."

They fell silent for a moment as she considered the offer. Stay in their tiny, lonely apartment, or move into a clan house, with all that clan within spitting distance, so to speak.

"Only... Only if Naruto wants to..." She said finally. The two men nodded in agreement as she stood and opened the door. "Naruto, sweetie? Could you come in here, please?" The boy shuffled into the office, a small scroll rolled up tightly in his little hands. The boy bowed slightly to the Sandaime, who smiled at him, and moved behind his mother, eyeing the hulking form of the Akimichi clan head.

"How do you feel about moving out of our old apartment?" She asked softly, kneeling down to his height. Naruto gave a huge start and looked up at her in surprise. "I know we've lived there your whole life, but we don't have to if you don't want to."

He looked up at her, confused. He glanced at the armour-clad Akimichi, his eyes questioning. "Well, If you want to, Akimichi-sama says his family has an empty house we could use." She answered the unspoken query. "So what do you think?"

He looked up at the man again, studying his face for a moment before turning back to his mother. He pointed at her and made a small gesture that she didn't quite follow the first time. But he repeated it slower and she understood. "How do I feel about it?" He nodded. "Well... I think it's a good option... But only if you want to go."

But his mind was already made up. He saw something in her face that he decided was a good thing, and he turned to the two older men and nodded firmly.

The Hokage smiled. "Alright, then. We'll get you ready to go tomorrow, then."

* * *

A/N: Yeah. Sorry... It's been a bad summer, and it's getting worse. Here's a little bit to keep you all interested. Stay Frosty. -E. Red


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 8: Newness**

There was very little to pack, even after five years of living in the apartment. Naruto got all of his things packed into one large bag, which he was busy hauling into the hallway when the front door opened again.

The huge man... Chouza, the Hokage had called him... He entered with a huge smile on his face, and just as huge a bag of groceries in his arms. "Ah! Hello there, m'boy!" He said grandly, placing the bag on the counter in the kitchen "That looks a bit heavy, let me hel-" The hand that was reaching for the pack faltered in mid-reach, Chouza's shinobi eyes catching the tiny tremble in the boy's frame. _Ah... Right... Doesn't like to be touched..._ "You know what? I bet you can manage. Probably good exercise for you, too..."

The blonde stared up at him quizzically. "You're... Wondering why I'm here, yes?" Nod. "Well, we Akimichi have an old tradition. Whenever a friend moves into a new home, we throw them a party to celebrate all the good memories they have of the home they're leaving before they go."

"That's an interesting tradition." Naruto felt the weight of the bag leave his hands, and pouted at his mother, who smiled back and placed it with the rest of the packed items. "Thank you for considering us..." She let the sentence die, and Chouza nodded understandingly.

The door swung open again, and another large bag of groceries hobbled in, seemingly on it's own legs. "Oh, let me get that for you, dear."

"Thank you, darling." A woman appeared from behind the bag, and Naruto blinked in surprise. Mrs. Akimichi was one of the smallest women he had ever seen, standing a half-head shorter than his mother, and certainly dwarfed by her husband. She was slim, but not thin, and wore a short, well-use apron. She had big green eyes and a warm smile that Naruto was only accustomed to recieving from his mother or the Hokage. "Well, hello there. You must be Naruto. It's nice to meet you. My name is Mai."

Naruto blushed and retreated slightly behind his mother's legs, smiling shyly. Anko greeted the tiny matron, who promptly shooed her out of the kitchen and set to work, pulling pots and pans from one of the large bags, and ingredients from another. Soon enough, the small apartment was filled with tantalizing smells, and Naruto sat on his knees, peeking around the corner at the whirlwind of activity in the kitchen in amazed wonder.

Anko and Chouza chatted quietly behind him, about numerous topics, ranging from village politics to the Akimichi family tree. The clan head had left his young son, Chouji, at home with his older cousins. "He's going through a bit of a greedy phase, especially when it comes to meals." The large man explained, a little embarrassed.

The meal was rather grand, far more than had ever been placed on the small, creaking table in recent months. And with it came stories of the (few) good times the boy and his mother had enjoyed over the years. And it was then, during the final meal, that Naruto realised the full implications of the move.

They were stepping out of their shell, into the unknown. Leaving known safety for... Well, hopefully unknown safety. But their home...

It had never been much. Not by anyone's standards. But it was _theirs_.

And when the dishes were cleaned, and everything was packed, and loaded onto the small cart downstairs, Naruto stopped and took one more look around the apartment. He was sad to see it go. But he knew it was the right thing to do, at least for his mother.

And the door closed, and they were gone.

The house was easily twice the size of their old apartment, a small, three bedroom home within the square block that made up the Akimichi clan compound. The compound itself was built around a huge central courtyard, four large buildings on the corners of the block, with a handful of smaller houses between them, all around the huge garden/plaza that was always teeming with activity.

While not the largest family in number, the Akimichi were always entertaining guests, and one of the larger buildings housed a resteraunt, which was open to the public. So the place was never empty, and seldom quiet.

Still, after taking the better part of a week to settle in, Naruto found that he enjoyed the change of setting. He still tended to sit off by himself, but seeing the sheer number of people living and thriving, so close to home, was enough for him.

True to her word, his mother began to work with him on some light ninja training. Simple, basic taijutsu forms, basic weapon techniques, and the beginnings of chakra training. Not much, in the grand scope of things, but it was a lot for him to take in. To his credit, however, he never fell behind, or even thought of giving up. And he learned quickly.

Ibiki came over in that first week, and after a rather short discussion, started teaching the exciteable young boy and his mother Konoha's secret ANBU language, a way to speak with nothing but a few wiggles of his fingers. It had been developed as a way to communicate silently while on missions, but it's use in the boy's unique situation was easily evident. The Hokage, it turned out, had added the language to the curriculum for all academy level shinobi to learn as a requirement for graduation.

Naruto was too happy to be communicating again to realize that the old man had done this completely for his benefit, under the pretext of expanding the minds of the village's young trainees.

Ibiki, it turned out, had adopted the young girl from the 'incident' after her father abandoned her and refused to take her back, declaring her a disgrace and disowning her from their clan. Little Tenten was in school most of the time, and spent much of the rest of her days alone, training and keeping to herself. She would not warm up to Naruto for over two years, the memory of her father's rage enough to discourage her from contact. Her adopted guardian tried to get her to interact with others, but she simply closed up and refused, much to his dismay.

Two weeks passed. Naruto had grown used to many of the faces that frequented the compound, and knew the name of each Akimichi on sight. He still kept mainly to himself, but frequent prodding by his mother was slowly bringing him to a slightly better place, mentally. He had met the young heir to the house, and Chouji had liked him almost instantly, especially since he'd offered to share a snack with the larger boy.

Adults, however, still made him tremble when they got close, but that was something he would have to sort out on his own. Still, Anko chose to take heart in the fact that he at least had made a friend, after so long alone.

And one of her own friends returned to her, after her own isolation. Yuuhi Kurenai, one of her friends and classmates from her own academy days, returned from a successful seven-year deep-cover mission, with her target none the wiser to her presence. Her mission had uncovered numerous and varied intelligence reports on Iwagakure, the village hidden in stone, and she had escaped free and clear when an assassin from kumo had killed her entire cover family. Her genjutsu had covered her trail, and now, she had returned to the village, an unsung hero.

Anko was delighted when the red eyed young jonin knocked on their door. Kurenai had been one of her few friends in her youth, and her return (and understanding) was nothing short of a miracle, at least to her.

Kurenai and Naruto, however, had hit it off rather slowly. The young boy was suspicious of the woman, and she seemed, to the trained eye, to be deliberately avoiding the boy. Anko cornered her old friend during a visit a few days after she had returned. "What is going on, Nai-chan?" She demanded, using her old childhood nickname for her friend.

Kurenai, to her credit, didn't bat an eye. "Knowing what you've told me about the him, I'm simply letting him choose to get used to me on his own time." She replied calmly. "It won't do him any good for me to force him to accept me into your lives. So it's up to him to let me in."

And she was right. It took the remainder of the month, but eventually, like Ibiki, Naruto accepted his mother's friend as a fixture in her life, and, by extension, his own.

But it wasn't until almost a month and a half into their stay at the Akimichi clan compound that the full implication of their asylum was realized. Someone sent an assassin into their home.

Naruto awoke an hour before midnight, jostled from his sleep by the tiniest sound from his mother's bedroom across the hall, and had assumed it was just another bad night for her. But when he quietly slid her door open, and saw the dark shape if a man standing over her, he panicked and reacted with no thought.

He grabbed a sandal from the floor and threw it at the man as hard as he could, charging right behind it, The man twisted to meet his unseen 'attacker', which was ultimately why he had been caught. Had he caught the flying footwear, it would not have shattered the window, and would not have alerted the entire compound, and local ANBU, to a disturbance.

Which meant he wouldn't have been caught by the giant hand that reached in through the broken window less than five seconds later, its huge fingers curling around his body even as he overcame the shock of being discovered and tried to lunge at the boy.

There was much commotion that night, but nobody was harmed, save for the assassin, of course. Who turned out to be an older genin, out for his revenge after weeks of planning.

This would be the last time they were ever attacked in their own house. The Hokage made an example out of the middle-aged man, stating quite clearly how he felt about his own ninja attacking Konoha citizens within the walls of their home village.

Weeks passed, and little Naruto grew in leaps and bounds in his studies. He was reading at a much higher level than any other child his age, and writing detailed notes on things that particularly caught his interest, an unheard-of behaviour for a five-year-old. He was 'speaking' the sign language within a month, with a fluency that impressed his ANBU shadows.

His training was rapidly causing him to drop the last of his baby fat in exchange for a wiry, athletic body. He had gained an amazing level of proficiency with shuriken and kunai, and had asked his mother to begin teaching him the ins and outs of steel wire, a request she was happy to oblige to.

Ibiki, by virtue of proximity and having taught the boy how to 'speak' again, became the second adult Naruto would allow to touch him since the incident at the academy. He had been visiting with Anko complaining rather loudly about something or another. But as he stood up to leave, he dropped a scroll out of his coat, which rolled into the living room where Naruto sat, reading from an old, dusty book about some facet of village history or another.

The blonde picked up the scroll, placing his bookmark to hold his place as he stood and returned the scroll to its owner. "Thanks, squirt." Ibiki said with a smile, his hand rubbing the boy's hair without thinking. The scarred jonin froze when he realised what he'd just done, but instead of the usual trembling fit, Naruto actually leaned into the touch with a contented smile before returning to his book.

Anko, of course, burst into immediate joyful tears, and buried herself in the laughing man's arms.

Life settled into a pleasant routine. Naruto would spend his days either in a chair behind his mother's desk at work, his nose buried in anything from books on history to scrolls on jutsu theory, or in the central courtyard of the Akimichi clan compound, playing with Chouji and Shikamaru Nara, the son of one of his father's teammates. Shikamaru was a lazy boy, but sharp as a tack, and loyal to a fault. He'd known Chouji since infancy, and had met Naruto in the few short weeks following the big move. The pair had hit it off immediately, Shikamaru enjoying the silent boy's company, and appreciating his intelligence. He'd taught the blonde how to play shougi and go when he realised the mind that hid behind the shy exterior was as quick as his own, and the two got on famously.

Then, after his mother got home from work mid-afternoon, they would train for an hour or so on taijutsu and weapons, including the ninja wire which he rapidly became a master of. Naruto's complex imagination brought about ways of using wire that even Ibiki, a special jonin of wide and varied experience, was amazed by. Then they would sit down to dinner, sometimes alone, sometimes with Chouji and his parents, and sometimes, usually once a week, with the entire Akimichi clan, seated around a huge picnic table in the courtyard.

The clan as a whole took a real shine to their 'guests', and treated them just like family, an experience that enriched their lives, and showed them just how lonely they had been. The Akimichi, over the course of the first year, became 'safe' in Naruto's eyes. Mai, Chouji's mother, was just as often watching over him as his mother was, and he ran to her with equal frequency when he had a problem, and the tiny matron absolutely smothered the boy with all the affection he could handle.

Winter passed into spring, and Naruto was invited whole-heartedly to join in Chouji's birthday party. And it was there, of course, that he met the girl.

It should be mentioned that Naruto had interacted with the clan for over a half year, and had overcome many of his phobias regarding adults, but strangers, particularly men and shinobi, still set him to trembling every so often. Chouji's party was attended by the entirety of the Akimichi, Nara and Yamanaka clans, along with Ibiki and Tenten, and Kurenai as well. Which meant that there were _lots_ of strange adults for him to be around, if only for a day.

Upon the arrival of the Nara clan, he had hidden behind the legs of the nearest adult, Kurenai, who was taking care of him for the day while his mother was at work. The tall woman gave a small "Eep!" as his small arms wrapped around her thighs and he buried his face in her hip. "Well, what is all this, then?" She asked with a smile, resting a hand in his messy golden hair. "Someone sure got shy all of a sudden…"

Naruto gave a tiny tremble under her hand that she recognised immediately. She sat down on the porch and pulled the boy into her arms. "Hey, come on… There's nobody here who's going to hurt you, and I'm right here with you, okay?" Naruto nodded, though he didn't look up.

He stayed there, attached to her waist for almost an hour, when Chouji, Shikamaru, and one more child their age decided it was time for him to come play.

"Hey! Blondie!"

Naruto looked up, startled by the voice that was clearly not one of his friends'. And when he saw the two boys trailing behind the small blonde girl who was shouting across the courtyard, his cheeks flushed a deep red, and he re-buried his face into Kurenai's vest.

"Well?" The girl demanded, stopping just short of the pair seated on the porch. "Are you gonna sit there all day by yourself or are you going to come play with us?"

Poor Naruto, not having a clue how to deal with young girls, just nodded dumbly and followed them back into the crowd. The girl was, of course, Yamanaka Ino, the daughter of Chouza's other teammate, and it was all Kurenai could do to keep from laughing as she watched the young tyrant lording over a completely enthralled Naruto and friends, her own secret feelings about the boy notwithstanding.

Kurenai watched the four children for the better part of an hour, and inside, she was pleased that the boy was finally interacting with a group his own age. Kurenai was no stranger to isolation. When she had been his age, other children had avoided her because of her crimson eyes, a Yuhi family quirk that made her strange and therefore scary. It wasn't until she was already two years into the academy when she met Anko.

Anko had been entered into the academy early, and she very rapidly rose through the ranks, getting bumped up a class because of her skill. When they had first met, Anko had befriended her right away, and Kurenai was just glad to have a friend finally. Even after they had gone their separate ways after graduation, they had kept in contact, and remained the best of friends.

Until her master went rogue. And they locked her up.

A light touch on her shoulder made her start, and she looked up at Anko, just arrived home from work. "Hey."

"Thanks for watching him for me." The young mother smiled at her friend as her eyes searched the crowd for her son. "The Hokage let me off early. I got here as soon as I could…"

Kurenai nodded thoughtfully. "You haven't missed much. The boys have been co-opted by the Yamanaka girl. There." She pointed out the four children, and Anko's smile widened.

"I'm glad he's found a new friend." She said with a sigh. "I worry that all this isolation may have spoiled him to the world." Anko sat down heavily next to her friend, watching Naruto scurry off to retrieve something for Ino.

"Maybe, maybe not. I think you may need to talk to him about girls, though. The little tyrant has had all three of them running around like slaves all morning, but Naruto does it like it's a sacred task from Kami." The red eyed jonin replied.

"Hmm." The young mother agreed, watching as her son returned with a handful of sweets, earning himself a big smile from Ino, which made his cheeks go red. "True enough. Still, it's good for him to have someone new to play with. A little young crush won't kill him…"

Kurenai was silent for a while as the two women watched the hustle and bustle in the courtyard. When she finally spoke, she had chosen her words very carefully. "Anko. Are you sure this was the best idea?" She asked, finally, after holding it in for over a month, her concerns came to the front.

Anko frowned at her friend. "What idea?"

"You adopted a stray child with… A special problem. Immediately after being held against your will, abused and raped, for Kami knows how long."

"I know exactly what I did, Kurenai." Anko snapped irritably, taking a deep breath to calm herself. "My own problems are myriad and terrible, yes, but I have dealt with them in my own way."

"So you say."

"Yes, I say. That boy is the one thing in my life that I am proud of. He has loved me from the moment he saw me, and I have returned that and more."

Kurenai said nothing.

Anko's frown deepened into a full scowl. "I appreciate your concern. But I don't need it. What I need is a friend, who will support me and my son, for better or worse."

Red eyes blinked down at her, and Kurenai's features softened. "Okay. I apologise." She sat down beside her friend, placing a supporting hand on her leg. "I'll help in any way I can."

The scowl faded away into a grateful smile. "Thank you…"

The two friends said nothing more, instead turning their attention to the children, laughing and playing among the many adults and tables. And, upon seeing a true, happy smile on her son's silent face, Anko couldn't keep one off of hers.

* * *

A/N: I make no excuses. Ask me no questions, I'll tell you no lies... R&R, and stay frosty. -E. Red


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 9: Attentiveness**

"It has been decided, then." Sarutobi said with a self-satisfied nod. The council chamber around him was filled with murmurs as he addressed the gathered members. "I will send the mission out within the week."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama." The Inuzuka representative said humbly, bowing slightly before returning to her seat.

This having been the final issue on the schedule for the day's meeting, the assembled members stood as one to exit, when the Hokage gave a small cough, bringing their full attention back onto him as the room fell to silence.

"I do have one other issue I wish to discuss with you all, if you'll indulge me for a few more moments."

The silence in the room was deafening. The Hokage maintained a neutral face as the assembled council returned to their seats. "As I am sure you are all aware, a new school year is fast approaching. The academy will open its doorsto a new generation of students this coming year, and I believe that this year's batch of students will prove to be exceptional. With so many young clan heirs, how could it not?"

There was some nodding in the crowd as the old man spoke. "However, I think that since we have come to enjoy such a period of peace over the last several years, certain guidelines for the academy policies should be addressed. As has been pointed out to me by a number of concerned parents, we are not at war. Hiashi, if you would…" Sarutobi nodded to the Hyuuga patriarch, who stood.

"There is currently no need for us to send our children to battle." The white-eyed man said with calm conviction. "We are the strongest force on the continent. Our ranks swell with shinobi of highest quality, and our acclaim brings us contracts intended for our rivals. I am of the opinion that a new format of teaching is required to outfit our latest generation with the means to handle their position in the new world."

There were murmurings from the back of the semi-circular room, but the Hokage took no heed of them as Hiashi retook his seat. "This is the same statement that was brought to me by a number of different people, parent, teacher and former student alike. And so, it is with this in mind that I propose we make a number of changes, both to the curriculum and to some of the more… Antiquated traditions of the facility."

And so it was that the meeting was extended by another hour, as the Hokage laid out his intentions very clearly, and was not moved from them by any of the weak arguments presented by the less reputable members on the council.

* * *

Naruto looked up from the spiderweb he was watching as a shadow fell over him, and only flinched slightly before recognising the red eyes that looked down at him in the morning sun.

"Busy day, Naru-chan?" Kurenai asked, a small smile appearing on her face as his own lit up with a bright flash of teeth. "What have you got there?" She asked, and laughed a little when he held out his hands, showing her the intricate web of shinobi wire he'd woven in between his fingers, an identical mirror to the one he'd been studying. "That's pretty amazing, Brighteyes." She said, seeing the boy's smile widening at her little nickname for him.

The clan compound was unusually quiet that day, not for any reason in particular, but it had made it easier for Kurenai to keep track of the young boy's movement. The fact that he'd been crouched in one spot for almost ten minutes had piqued her curiosity, and she'd set her book down to investigate.

"So what else are you doing today? Hmm?" She asked the boy, who shrugged.

"_Not sure."_ He replied with a wiggle of his fingers. _"Bored."_

Kurenai chuckled. "I totally understand, little man. Tell you what, how about we do a little training before lunch, and then pay your mom a surprise visit. How about that?"

Naruto broke out into a huge grin and leapt to his feet, dropping the ninja wire and throwing his arms around her legs as she laughed. "Well, I suppose that's one idea I can always count on to get a smile." She said, even as the boy nodded into her vest.

Soon enough, they were, seated across from each other on the back porch, hiding out from the light rain that had sprung up suddenly. "Huh. It appears nature says no to taijutsu training today..." The blonde boy beside her crosses his arms with a huff, and she stifled a giggle at the aorable pout on his face. "Well, I suppose we'll have to try this then. What do you know about chakra, Brighteyes?"

Said eyes sparkled a little as the blonde's fingers flicked out his reply. _"Chakra is the combination of one's physical life force and one's spiritual energy. Ninja use it for all kinds of things, but mostly for jutsu performance."_

Kurenai raised an eyebrow at him. "Straight out of the book, huh?" The boy had the good graces to blush as he nodded. "Well then, smart guy, can you show me your chakra?"

Blue eyes blinked at her as the boy frowned. _"Mother was going to show me how to do that soon…"_ He signed.

"Well, won't she be surprised when you show her this afternoon then, hmm?" Oh how she delighted in the way that little face lit up. She instructed him in basic meditation to feel his chakra, and settled down beside him as their eyes closed.

Kurenai had come to treasure this child almost as much as his mother had. Naruto, despite his shyness and insecurity, was a bright and happy child. He was always willing to help with anything that was needed. He was an excellent friend to those who had gained his trust, and a studious learner, devouring every book and scroll put in front of him.

But more even than that, it was his spirit. He could feel the malice in the air around him, the people from the village who hated him and his mother, but he faced it all with a smile and a grim determination that impressed even his ANBU shadows. His mother had taught him that it was not his place to hate the people that hated him. It was his place to prove them all wrong.

It was not often that Kurenai considered the Kyuubi. At least, not now that she knew the child who contained it. However, after less than a minute of meditation, she felt, rather than saw, the massive flare of chakra from the child beside her, and her eyes popped open in shock.

Naruto sat in the lotus position, and his body radiated a soft, warm blue light, that flickered gently off his torso, just as it would in a trained shinobi. What was not normal, however, was the sheer amount of it. Naruto was putting off so much energy, she was surprised that he hadn't passed out in the first seconds.

Also unusual, if not as surprising as the amount, was the locations that were leaking the most. Genin tended to glow uniformly, where chunin and above would have a brighter glow from their hands or mouth, or wherever they focused most of their techniques from.

Naruto's hands blazed like an inferno among the subtle flicker off his torso. Even more strange was the flickers of liquid neon that leaked out from between his eyelids.

Kurenai couldn't hold in the surprised gasp, and Naruto's eyes opened, revealing something that the genjutsu mistress, for all her imagination and experience, would fail to describe for the remainder of her life. For an instant, the blonde boy's eyes blazed with the power of a thousand truths, and he stared straight through her soul. Then he blinked, and his chakra dissipated as he broke into a smile.

"_Did I do it?"_ His fingers asked, and she shook the shock off her face.

"Absolutely, Brighteyes." She replied, almost choking on the irony of the nickname. "Come on, let's go impress your momma."

Naruto's smile glowed brighter as he took her offered hand and followed her out of the compound, his ANBU shadow for the day following them out.

In the blaze of his chakra, none of the observing parties had seen the slight bulge of the blood vessels around his eyes.

* * *

Being the Hokage's secretary afforded Anko and Naruto many opportunities that most people would never experience in their lives. One of those things was a meeting between some of the village clan heads and some of the various ambassadors from the other hidden villages.

Of course, the Hokage brought them along for purely selfish reasons, but that would never be voiced.

At least not openly.

Naruto stayed predictably close to his mother, but his eyes flickered from face to face as the various ambassadors came and went. Lord Hyuuga's home was immaculately clean, and the man himself played the gracious host extremely well, despite the pain of the recent loss of his beloved wife. His daughter, the young clan heir, followed her father dutifully.

The afternoon was productive, with much backroom information being traded and many treaties touched upon. But of course, it was not to be.

It was Naruto, of all people, who noticed it. Being unable to speak to many of the foreign people in the room, he was more watching the people and listening to the room than actually interacting with anyone. But it was close to two hours in when he noticed it.

Hinata was no longer following behind her father.

Naruto had wanted to meet the young girl, and his mother had noticed his eyes watching the young girl. With a grin, she'd promised to introduce them, and she'd laughed as her son's face bloomed into a brilliant crimson blush.

But now, she wasn't there, and the slight frown on her father's face was enough to tell him that something was wrong. His hand immediately latched onto his mother's kimono and gave a slight, but incessant tug. _"Something is wrong."_ His fingers flicked, pointing over at the frowning Hyuuga.

Anko, in turn, passed the message on to the Hokage, who nodded and wrapped up his current conversation, moving smoothly to the gracious host. "_Problem?"_ The Hokage's fingers asked, even as his voice commented on the man's home.

"_Hinata has not returned from the kitchen."_ Came the reply. _"She is usually very prompt, and she knows how important appearances are today."_

Naruto's hand flickered before he could stop himself. _"I'll go look for her, sir."_

Hiashi quirked an eyebrow at the boy, who simply smiled back up at him fearlessly. The man nodded, and Naruto scampered off after a polite bow. _"A surprising child."_ He commented. The Hokage could only nod.

The house was silent, but bustling with activity. The kitchen was a hub of whirling limbs and chopping knives, but Naruto ignored them. His eyes were darting over the room, taking in every detail, every nuance. There was a small paper fan laying on the floor under one counter, and he instantly recognised it as the one the pale girl had tucked into her kimono.

Eyes sharp from countless hours of silent observation, or perhaps something more, caught what nobody else in the kitchen could see. The tiny footprint in the flour dust near the door. The scrap of fabric snagged on a bush just outside the rear door to the kitchen.

The miniscule drops of blood on the floorboards.

Naruto started violently and broke into a run, his sandals clattering against the floor as he made his way towards the nearest compound wall. His feet pushed him up and on top of the wall, where he saw signs of a small struggle at the base of the wall. He blinked, panicking slightly before his hand dove into his dress kimono and pulled out the only thing he had that could help in this situation. Something the Hokage had given him in case he had an emergency and needed to call for help.

The whistle screamed in the suddenly quiet air, and in less than ten seconds, his personal shadow appeared in a whirl of leaves. His hands flickered in speech even before she had fully materialized. "_Hinata kidnapped."_ He signed, throwing his arm out in the direction the tracks had vanished into the woods. _GO!_ He mouthed, and she did.

Neko had always listened to him when he'd called her.

The wall was suddenly a lot less bare as the Hokage himself landed beside Naruto, the boy panting in exertion as the whistle fell from his grip to the dirt below. ANBU from several nations landed beside him, all of them bristling with agitation. Naruto's hands flickered in explanation, and the Hokage nodded, frowning the whole time.

"It appears," He said calmly, turning to the gathered diplomats and their retinue and bodyguards. "That someone has decided to take my generosity for granted and abduct the young Hyuuga heiress."

There was a murmur of disapproval as the gathered diplomats looked around each other.

"I will say this simply." The Hokage stated. "I do not look favorably on traitors, but I do upon those who help. It would be to your village's benefit to assist in the capture of these kidnappers." He dispatched his entire ANBU escort with a flicked hand sign and a nod of his head.

He was not the only one who did, either.

With luck, he could avoid an international incident.

* * *

Hinata was red faced from crying when she was returned to her father, but she was alive and mostly unharmed. It had been the ambassador from Kumo who had orchestrated the abduction, but of course the man simply sneered at the Hokage when he was confronted.

"Say what you like, old man." The greasy diplomat said with a cocky smirk. "You wouldn't risk another shinobi war over a single girl."

"If you say so." Said the Hokage.

And then his hand whipped out and broke the man's neck in a single blow.

"Get this garbage out of my sight." He spat, stalking back into the reception. He stopped in the center of the room, and the murmurs of conversation vanished.

"I will deal with any attempt on the children of this village in a similar fashion." He stated calmly, looking at the remaining diplomats and their shinobi escorts. "However I will thank those of you who assisted in the capture. Your help is much appreciated, and will be kept in mind during the negotiations to come. I thank you all for your patience, and look forward to the coming meetings. Good night."

* * *

Naruto sat on the bench in the Hyuuga compound's courtyard, watching the busy clan cleaning up after the fiasco that had been the meet and greet. Anko sat beside him, holding onto his hand and humming softly as he leaned into her, both of them smiling contentedly.

"Ahem." The polite sound was all that preceded Hiashi's arrival, the tall man shadowed by his daughter, who was hiding behind her father with a large bandage over her cheek from where the kidnapper had struck her. The two Hyuuga stopped in front of the seated pair, and Naruto almost hid behind his mother, intimidated by the stormy expression on the large man's face. "It would appear that I owe you a debt of gratitude, young man." He said after a moment.

Anko let out a breath she wasn't aware he had been holding as her son flushed, looking down and fidgeting in embarrassment. _"It was nothing, sir…"_ He replied, his fingers twitching nervously. _"Just doing what I could…"_

"Nonsense, boy." The man replied, an ever so slight smile appearing on his lips. "You have done my clan a great service today, and the Hyuuga do not forget those who aid them. You have my thanks, and if ever there is anything you need my assistance with, you have but to ask."

A small noise from behind him seemed to remind him that his daughter was there, and he reached back a hand to guide her forward. The poor girl was shaking like a leaf, the adrenalin in her system having run its course, leaving her in a crash of unstable emotions. But the fear in her heart didn't keep her from speaking. "Umm… Th-thank you…" She stammered, her voice almost impossibly quiet. "For saving m-me…"

Naruto blushed even deeper and chuckled a soundless, nervous laugh. _"Aww, it's not that big a deal…"_ He signed, not knowing that she couldn't understand him. But he was definitely not prepared for what happened next. The shy little girl stepped forward and planted a light kiss on his cheek before running back to her smirking father, blushing slightly even as Naruto practically glowed.

Anko laughed at the dumbstruck look on Naruto's face, and even Hiashi let out a chuckle. The boy's face broke out into a huge grin, and he knew that he'd done something important that day.

He might never know what, but he did it nonetheless.

* * *

A/N: Evening, you lot. So, coupla things here. Been a while, blah blah blah, and I'm sorry. Been doing a lot of working, and even more thinking. And I've been thinking that I need to dump a load of half-written ideas out of my head. So I will as you all a small question:

Would anyone be interested in seeing what gos on in my head?

The premise is simple. I write out every story idea that has cossed my mind for the Nautoverse, and do an intro chapter apiece, and post allof these chapters in a single story fil. Call it the editing bin, or something. Just to et them outta my head. I may take the most popular one and actually write it, but that will be determined later.

Anyway, leave your comments in the Reviews I know you'll be leaving for me. And, as ever, Stay Frost. -E. Red


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